Scotland’s Carbon Footprint: 1998-2013

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published Scotland’s Carbon Footprint: 1998-2013. This publication provides estimates of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions on a consumption basis; that is emissions that are associated with the spending of Scottish residents on goods and services, wherever in the world these emissions arise together with emissions directly generated by Scottish households.

Key points

Between 2012 and 2013, the carbon footprint increased by 3.5 per cent. The rise mainly reflects increases in emissions associated with imported goods and household emissions.

Between 1998 and 2013, Scotland’s carbon footprint (emissions from all greenhouse gases) fell by 4.8 per cent, from 99.6 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 1998 to 94.8 MtCO2e in 2013.

Scotland’s carbon footprint rose fairly steadily from 1998 to a peak of 115.3 MtCO2e in 2007 before falling sharply in the following years (coinciding with the recession) when it fell to 92.8 MtCO2e in 2009.